Railroad-car



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Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

(No Model.) v 3 sheets-sheet 2.

H. C. BUHOUP.

RAILROAD GAR.

No. 466,975. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. e. BUHOUP.

RAILROAD GAR. e No. 466,975. Patented Jan. l2, 1892.

www, A MEP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY O. BUI-IOUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,975, dated January 12, 1892.

Application filed August 15, 1891. Serial No. 402,753. (No model.)

of the end of a car and its platform havingv applied thereto devices which embody my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line x x, Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line y y, Fig. l.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction and operation of that class of bufiing mechanism applied for the purpose of and intended to steady the motion of a train of cars and limit and restrain the surging and oscillation or swaying 0f the individual cars. This class of devices has heretofore been applied in two general forms-that is to say, either as separate springsupported buffers or bufiingplates, or, as in the case of vestibuled trains, in the form of spring-supported frame-plates or contiuous buffer-plates, the latter of which afford vertical and lateral support as well as horizontal top and bottom support to the cars. So far as I am aware the larger part of the bufiing mechanism heretofore devised for this purpose has depended on the proj ectlng force of the springs employed, which 1s necessarily limited in power, unequal in application, and decreases in proportion to the distance between the cars until finally effective frictional contact is so reduced that the devices become more or less inefficient for the purposes intended, and frequently during the draft the buffers orplates at the top entirely separate. So farl as the lower or platform buffers are concerned the same have, however, been coupled to or connected with the effectively supported by the applied force, are subjected to the greatest lateral force and motion, and have the most work to do in restraining the swaying oroscillation of the car, and, further, in the case of vestibuled trains this imperfect contact or separation of the frame-plate at its top permits the entrance of dust and cinder, which is highly objectionable. So far as I am aware no provision has heretofore been made for supplementing or reinforcing said upper buers or the corresponding portion of the spring-supported frameplate of a vestibule by the longitudinal or endwise movement of the cars, and to accomplish this is the object of my invention. To this end the main feature of my invention embraces the combination, with the upper buffers or upper part of the frame-plate, of suitable mechanism whereby the endwise movement of the cars either to or from each other shall cause the outward movement of the said buffer or plate and increase the pressure and frictional contact, whereby the surging and oscillation of the car are effectively controlled.

There are other minor features of invention pertaining to preferred combinations and particular details of construction, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

For the purposes of illustration I have herein shown and described my invention as applied by means of the spring-supported frameplate or continuous buffer-plate common to vestibuled trains; but it will be evident that the invention is equally applicable to independent or separate buffers, and therefore what has been chosen for illustration is not to be taken as imposing any limitation on the invention.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more specifically, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the end of a car with the usual platform B, vestibule C,

and spring-supported frame-plate D common to vestibuled cars, the portions d d of said frame-plate D being the equivalents of the horizontal independent buffers frequently applied to non-vestibule cars to control the surging and oscillation of the car, all of which is familiar to those skilled in the art.

IOO

E indicates the movable draw-bar or coupling with its springs c, tail-bolt f, and follower-plates g and 7L properly arranged and su pported on the longitudinal sills of the car in any approved manner.

1 indicates a yoke-lever pivoted on the longitudinal sills of the car at a point above the draw-bar, as at 2, and through the yoke 1fL (which constitutes the lowerarm of the lever) the draw-bar E passes, as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to the lower arm of yoke-lever 1 is an equalizer' 3, which extends transversely of the car and has its ends connected by rods or links Lt 4 with bell-crank levers 5 5, for purposes which will hereinafter appear.

G indicates a movable pin which projects through a suitable slot in the shank of the draW-bar'E, so as to engage and force backward the lower or yoke arm 1 of the yoke-lever 1, and with said arm the equalizer 3, whereby motion is communicated to the links 4 t and bell-crank levers 5 5. This horn 6 may be provided with a longitudinal slot 7, whereby it is suspended from a pin, and may be formed as by rounding at its lower front end to enable it to recede into the shank. of the draw-bar E when encountering resistance in the outward movement of said draw-bar. To prevent its recession when acting on the yoke 1, it may be provided with a shoulder 10, if desired.

Connected with the rear follower-plate so as to move therewith and extending forward therefrom over the draw-barE is a thrust-bar 8, having a narrow tongue 9 or guide adapted to pass through a slot in the upper arm of yoke 1, (see. Fig. 2,) and said thrust-bar is otherwise formed to bear against the rear face of said upper arm, so that the yoke-lever may be supported by and respond to the forward movement of said rear follower-plate 7i.

F indicates one of the lower buifers commonly applied in the plane of the framingsills, said buifer here shown as forming part of the frame-plate of a vestibule. G indicates an equalizing-bar for connecting said lower buffers when two or lnore are used, and 12 a T-bolt which connects the equalizer G with the upper arm of the lever-yoke 1, so as to control the buifers from said lever-yoke.

Il indicates one of the usual upper buffers, in the present instance also shown as connected with or forming part of a frame-plate D, provided with stem L, which passes through suitable keepers h2 at the top ot the vestibule, and with the usual projecting spring 71,3, which bears against a shoulder on the stem 7L. On the stem 7i I also place a movable bearing or follower plate 13 and su pport the same by one arm ot' a pivoted bellcrank lever 14, the opposite arm of said bellcrank lever 1l being connected with a rod 15 or equivalent connection extending down to the bottom of the car and there connected with one arm of the pivoted bell-crank lever 5, so that whenever the said bell-crank lever 5 shall be operated from the yoke-lever 1 by either the inward or outward movement of the draw-bar said movement will be communicated to the follower-plates 13 and cause the outward movement of the buffers l-I or their equivalent, the upper portion of the frameplate D. lt is to be understood that the bellcrank levers 5 and 1t and the vertical connecting-rods 15 are duplicated for opposite sides of the car, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2

of the drawings.

The construction being of substantially the character hereinbefore specified will operate as follows: Upon coupling up the cars of a train the buffers or frame-plates of adjacent cars will be forced in frictional contact by the usual projecting springs, as now commonly takes place; but when the train is drawn out or moving forward the draw-bar E will, by means o f the thrust-bar 8, force forward the upper arm of yoke-lever 1, thus causing the lower arm of the yoke-lever to move backward, and through the mediumof equalizer 3, links or pivoted levers 4 Ll, and bell-crank levers 5 5 draw down the vertical rods or connections '15, thus actuating the bell-crank levers let to force forward the follower-plates or bearings 13 of the upper buffers, and thus compress the springs h3 h3 and increase the force and projection of the said upper buffers or upper part of the frameplates, as the case may be. Like results will follow in case of sudden arrest of the motion of the trains or in backing, though in the latter case the inward thrust ot' the draw-bars will act on the lower arm of yoke-levers 1, through the medium of horn G, and the movement being thence transmitted to the upper buffers or upper part of the frame -plate through equalizer 3, links or levers t fl, bellcrank levers 5 5, rods 15, and bell-crank levers 14, as before specified.

It will be at once evident to persons skilled in the art that any connection between th'e equalizers 3 of two cars which will utilize the approach and recession of said cars to cause the recession of said equalizers 3 and the operation of rods 15 and bell-crank levers l-l will be the full equivalents and may be substituted for the draw-bar E, lever-yoke 1, and horn G without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described the nature, operation, and advantages of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is- 1. The combination, with buffers arranged at the upper part of the car, of coupling devices for connecting the cars and interposed mechanism adapted to cause the outward `movement of said buffers by the endwise movements of the car, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the upper springbuifers, of a coupling mechanism and intermediate connections which extend from the IOO IIO

buffers at the top of the car to the coupling mechanism at the bottom thereof, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with the upper buffers, of a coupling device, a yoke-lever actuated thereby, an equalizing-bar connected with the yoke-lever, and intermediate connections eX- tending from the upper buffers to the equalizing-bar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination, with the upper buffers, of a coupling, a yoke-lever, a thrust-bar connected with the coupling and adapted to operate the yoke-lever, an equalizing-bar connected to the yoke-lever, and suitable connections between the equaliZing-bar and the upper buers, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with upper buffers, of two sets of pivoted levers, one at the bottom and the other at the top of the car, suitable connections between the said pivoted levers, and a car-coupling device with which the lower levers are connected, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

G. The combination, with upper buffers,.of two sets of'pivoted levers, one set arranged to operate the upper buifers, suitable connections between the pivoted levers of the same side, and an equalizing-bar for connecting the lower set of pivoted levers, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. The combination of two cars, each having upper buifers, a coupling devicefor connecting said cars, and intermediate connections Which extend from the coupling device to the buffers at the top of each car, whereby the movement of the cars in either direction will cause the projection of said upper buffers,

4o substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. The combination, with upper buffers, of bell-crank levers which actuate the buffers, connections extending from said bell-crank levers to the bottom of the car, bell-crank levers arranged at the bottom of the car and which receive said connections, an equalizingbar which connects said last-recited bell-crank levers, a coupling having a thrust-bar at tached thereto, and a pivoted lever connected with the equalizing-bar and actuated by the thrust bar of the-coupling, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. The combination, with an upper bufferplate and its projecting spring, of a movable follower or bearing plate and means for causing the forward movement of said followerplate by the endwise movement of the car, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. The combination, with a buffer plate or plates arranged at the upper part of the car and the draw-bar or coupler, of intermediate vertical and lateral connections whereby the endwise mot-ion of the draw-bar is converted into an `outward movement of the bufferplates, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

l1. The combination, with the upper portion of a car, of a buer plate or plates, their projecting springs, a movable bearing for said projecting springs, and a vertical rod which actuates the movable bearing-plate from the coupler or draw-bar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of July, 1891.

HARRY C. BUI-IOUP. Vi tnesses:

J. B. BRADY,

R. E. JANNEY. 

